Growing Up Sky Dragon
by wendymarvelous
Summary: On an unexpected vacation with Team Fairy Tail A, Wendy must turn to Erza and Lucy for help when she suddenly faces womanhood. (rated T for periods and growing up.)
1. Chapter 1

Wendy knew something was wrong from the moment she woke up.

Something just felt wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. An odd feeling was rising in her throat, like she was going to either roar or throw up, or maybe both. It hurt, but in the same way that she couldn't tell what was wrong, she couldn't really tell where it hurt either. It just did.

The morning itself, however, was particularly beautiful. The mid-July sun streamed into her dormitory room through the white curtains that covered the window beside her. The room was bathed in a fresh, warm glow that usually would have made Wendy excited to get up and go outside. Not today, though; today she never wanted to leave her comfortable bed.

"But Natsu-san invited me on a job today," Wendy mumbled to herself as she rubbed a hand across her eyes, trying to clear the foggy feeling that overcame her. "I can't be sick. Not today." She shook her head insistently and sat up sharply. "That's right!" she said enthusiastically. "Natsu-san needs me!"

"What are you mumbling about over there?" Carla asked haughtily, sipping gently from a tea cup at the small table in front of the window. She sat on the edge with her legs dangling over the side, her tail swishing lightly back and forth as she studied Wendy. Though Wendy was an early riser herself, Carla was even more so. She was always awake when the sun rose and Wendy usually found her staring out the window when she awoke an hour or so later. But today Carla was giving her a quizzical look, staring at her thoughtfully. "Are you alright? Your aura seems off today."

Wendy brushed her thoughts aside and stretched her arms above her head, yawning as she went. "Nothing's wrong," she replied sleepily. "Just thinking about the mission we're going on today. I'm looking forward to spending time with the team." She smiled a little as she slid out from under the covers and moved towards her wardrobe.

"Are you sick?" Carla persisted, flying in front of Wendy's face and stopping her mid-stride to place a paw on her forehead. "You don't feel warm, but we can stay home today if you don't feel up to a job."

"No!" Wendy said quickly. "No, I feel fine. But I need to get ready-I don't want to be late." She ducked beneath the hovering exceed and opened the wardrobe. Behind her, Carla huffed in exasperation and muttered something under hear breath about irresponsibility. "Dress lightly," she instructed as Wendy pushed around the clothes in the closet. "It's supposed to be very warm today and we're heading south for this mission. But make sure you grab a hat, your skin is light you know!"

"I know!" Wendy growled as a sudden wave of anger rushed through her. A rush of air came forth from her mouth and blew through the clothes in front of her, rattling their hangers. Carla, who had since moved to hover beside her, looked frankly shocked.

"Well I never..!" she exclaimed, quite taken aback. "Young lady, since when do you speak in that tone of voice? I taught you better!" She crossed her arms with an angry harrumph. Wendy stared straight ahead, her unmoving hand grasping the sleeve of a red shirt tightly and her mouth still open as if she would roar again. But she made no sound. Instead, her eyes welled up and tears began to spill down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," Wendy cried suddenly, her sobs becoming more audible. "I'm so sorry Carla; I didn't mean to speak to you like that. I don't know what came over me. I just got so angry and annoyed and…" she trailed off as she cried harder.

"Oh Wendy," Carla sighed affectionately, wiping the tears off the girl's face. "You've always been a sensitive little thing. I should've known it was bound to happen someday."

Wendy sniffed a little and dried her cheek with the back of her hand. "That what would happen?" she asked. Carla patted the top of her head lovingly.

"Just that you would grow up. You were bound to start arguing with me at some point." Wendy laughed and hugged Carla gently, which the small cat returned with a smile. "Are you sure you want to go? I can fly to the guild and let Natsu know you're not feeling well if you'd like."

She considered the possibility for a moment since she really was feeling under the weather. But the moment was only fleeting and she shook her head once again. She shuttered as visions of Natsu breaking down the door to check on her filled her head.

"No thanks," she said finally. "I think it'll do me good to get some sun."

"If you're sure," Carla said warily. "Now let's hurry up and get ready. We mustn't keep the others waiting."

Wendy nodded in agreement and quickly changed into a light, comfortable outfit for their long train ride into Hargeon and along the Southern Coast. The unidentifiable pain persisted and she didn't feel like wearing anything that might squeeze her uncomfortably. The white sundress, paired with light brown sandals, fell just above her knees and hung loosely from her narrow shoulders. She had packed her suitcase the night before and it stood waiting by the door, packed full of carefully folded clothes. Carla placed her small white purse atop the suitcase and sat down on the table again, watching Wendy thoughtfully again while she swept her long blue hair into two high pigtails.

"Okay," Wendy said, giving herself one last look in the mirror on the back of the wardrobe door before she shut it. "Ready!" She smiled reassuringly at the concerned cat and grabbed the suitcase handle. "Are you ready?"

"I'm always ready. Are you sure you have everything you need?"

"I'm sure. Now let's get going." She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet as Carla made her way over and perched atop the suitcase beside her purse.

Wendy moved noticeably more slowly on the walk down to the guild hall. The rocky path jostled the suitcase around, consequently jerking her body with it. Her aching muscles complained at the unexpected movements and the headache rising inside her head wasn't helped by the vibrations and noise of the bouncing wheels. She tried to pass her slower walking as simply enjoying the beautiful weather, but Carla continued to watch her skeptically. It seemed she saw through the façade, although Wendy kept it up anyway in an effort to make herself feel better.

When she arrived at the guild hall, none of the rest of the team was there yet. It was only 7:30 anyway and they had agreed to meet at 8, so she wasn't all that surprised. Both Natsu and Lucy loved to sleep and wouldn't waste a minute getting to the hall early. And Erza, well, took her time packing her bags.

As usual, Cana sat on a table nursing a half-full beer, Gildarts passed out on the bench beside her. Various other guild members were scattered throughout the hall, either asleep or eating quickly before heading out on a job. Mirajane stood behind the bar, smiling pleasantly down at the glass she was drying.

"Good morning Mira-san," Wendy said with a slight bow before sliding onto one of the barstools.

"Good morning Mirajane," Carla echoed.

"Good morning!" she said cheerily, putting down the glass and bowing to each of them. "You're here early," she noted.

"We're leaving early for a job on the Southern Coast," Wendy explained, propping her chin on her hand. "I didn't want to be late, but it seems I go here a bit too early."

"Big job, huh?" Mirajane asked, eyes sparkling. "Well you can't leave hungry! Breakfast is on me." She disappeared into the kitchen before Carla could protest. Wendy rubbed her temple absentmindedly as her thoughts wandered to the job they were about to take on.

Natsu had picked up the request a few days ago, but only after fighting off half the guild to snatch it. A baron in the south was offering a handsome reward to anyone who could find the treasure he had somehow misplaced in his massive mansion. With their team of five wizards plus two exceeds, it was sure to be both fun and easy, not to mention one heck of a payday. She could use some help paying her Fairy Hills rent.

She was pulled out of her daze by the sound of Mirajane placing a heaping plate of food in front of her. She had included all of Wendy's favorites- scrambled eggs, bacon, and sweet cereal, accompanied by a glass of her favorite juice. For Carla she had prepared delicately sliced fish on a bed of light seasoned rice, which Carla accepted graciously and dug ravenously into, momentarily forgetting her classical mannerisms.

"Thank you!" Wendy said, licking her lips with anticipation. Mirajane smiled and went back to drying the glasses.

"Not a problem. Just a bit of good luck for you no your mission."

The pair was interrupted midway through their meal by the entrance of a certain groaning dragon slayer. He came into guild hall with Lucy at his side, waving a piece of paper around in the air with his wild gestures.

"How could he pull this crap?" he yelled angrily. "Now what am I going to do today?" Happy, who was seated on Natsu's head, agreed with a disheartened "Aye."

"How am I going to pay my rent?" Lucy cried, ripping the burning paper from Natsu's grasp. "Man, I really needed that cash."

"Natsu-san! Lucy-san!" Wendy called, waving them over. They both looked at her with sadness in their eyes.

"Sorry kid," Natsu said, "but it looks like we aren't going on a mission today after all. It seems that guy didn't need our help finding his treasure." He handed Wendy the piece of paper, a letter from the baron detailing the discovery of the treasure in his sock drawer. Lucy slammed her head down on the countertop.

"I'm gonna get evicted," she moaned.

"Poor Lucy!" Mirajane interjected. "Her, let me pour you a drink on the house."

"There isn't going to be a house left if you keep giving things away for free!" Carla exclaimed. Mirajane ignored her.

"Anyway," Natsu continued, "I guess we have to find another way to spend the day. Maybe I can find another request to take." He started to get up but was blocked by a figure that appeared suddenly in front of him.

"Nonsense," Erza said, her face deadly serious. "We're getting on that train."

"But we have no job to go to!" Natsu protested. He tried to push her out of the way but she remained solidly in place.

"I know," she said, stills serious but her eyes lighting up. "That's why I bought these!" Her face finally broke into a smile as she held up five tickets to a resort. "We're going on vacation!"

Lucy jerked up and squealed as she saw the tickets in Erza's hand. "Is that that totally amazing five-star resort on the beach?"

"Only the best for us."

Lucy couldn't contain herself; she jumped up and hugged Erza, eyes watering as she proclaimed her many thanks. Both Mira and Carla were staring in utter shock, while Natsu stood looking on with nothing more than dumb confusion on his face.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Gray's meeting us at the station for the 8:30 train. Go home and pack your bags for a beach vacation, and don't be late," Erza instructed.

Before she really even comprehended what had just happened, Wendy was leaving the guild with Carla at her side, marching back up the path to Fairy Hills.


	2. Chapter 2

*A/N- Thank for all the support last chapter- it was all so sweet and completely unexpected! Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you like it! :) *

Half an hour later, Wendy was sitting on the train to Hargeon with the other members of Team Fairy Tail A. Natsu, as expected, was lying face first on a bench, groaning, while Gray slumbered lazily on the other. Across the aisle, Wendy held Carla and looked out the window at the forests and fields of Fiore rushing by. Lucy sat next to her, petting Plue repetitively as she stared into space. On the opposite bench, Erza sat with her back to the window reading a book, the nature of which she would not allow Wendy to see.

Wendy usually loved the train- the scenery flashing by, the click of the wheels on the track, the rush of the speed at which they hurtled forward- but today, she hated the train more than anything. The blurry scenes outside her window made her feel disoriented, the clicking of the wheels hurt her head, and the speed of the train made her feel nauseous. Whatever pain she had been feeling that morning came back twice as strong as the world spun around her. She was sweating and breathing heavily and couldn't seem to get a grip on reality. The next thing she knew she was vomiting off the back of the train.

The wind whipped her hair into her face and stuck to her tear-stained cheeks as she threw up over the rail continuously. Once there was nothing left of Mirajane's breakfast left her stomach, she sank down to the platform and leaned her back against the iron bars, her hands balled into fists. Carla was talking to her but the words were stolen away by the wind. She closed her eyes.

When she opened them again she was lying flat on her back inside the train car, the faces of her friends looming over her. Carla stood beside her, holding her hand and calling her name frantically. It sounded like she was crying.

She took a second to get a grip on her surroundings, blinking hard in an effort to clear her vision. She tried to sit up but was overcome with another wave of nausea and laid back down again. "What happened?" she asked finally.

"You vomited and fainted," Carla cried. "I knew you we're sick! I knew we shouldn't have come! As soon as we get to Hargeon we're getting on the first train back to Magnolia!"

"What? No!" Wendy protested. "I'm…"

"Don't you dare tell me you're fine because that is clearly not the case!" She stamped a foot decisively.

Ignoring the nausea, Wendy sat up and put her back against the bench behind her. "But I am fine, Carla," she huffed with annoyance. "Just…motion sick."

A groan of agreement from Natsu.

"But you don't get motion sickness!" Carla argued.

"Apparently I do now. But I feel okay now. I think that actually helped me feel better; I needed a little air."

Carla crossed her arms and scrutinized Wendy's pale, tired face. "At least have something to drink," she said with a sigh of defeat. "You must be dehydrated now."

The exceed left to find Wendy some water while Lucy helped her back to her seat. She turned her back to the window and closed her eyes, hoping not to repeat the incident.

"Can you cast troia on yourself?" Lucy asked innocently.

"Unfortunately no. Self-healing magic is completely different from sky magic. I can't use it on myself."

"Oh," Lucy said apologetically. "I'm sorry you're not feeling well. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Wendy smiled at her friend's kindness and shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I just want to go to sleep now."

To Wendy's surprise, Lucy scooted a bit closer on the seat and patted her shoulder. "Take a nap. I won't let Carla wake you," she said with a wink.

"Are you sure?" She didn't want to take advantage of her friend's good nature.

"Of course. Besides, I think I'm going to nap too. We can sleep together."

Somewhat cautiously, Wendy laid her head down on Lucy's warm, soft shoulder. The rhythmic clicking of the train coupled with Lucy's breathing lulled her into a state of deep relaxation. Just before she slipped away, she felt Lucy shift a bit beneath her weight and ever so gently slip an arm around her. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

It as Erza who finally woke Wendy up from her deep sleep. Over the course of the train ride, she had slowly slid down Lucy's side until her head rested in her lap and her back pressed against the bench. When she awoke, she was staring up into Lucy's sleeping face, curled up into a tight ball beside her. Erza roused them both softly, saying that they were twenty minutes away from Hargeon Station.

Lucy yawned and stretched and very nearly smacked Wendy in the face as she sat up, for which she apologized profusely. Her stomach and head both still hurt but the nausea had gone away, and she found immense comfort in knowing that she would soon be allowed off the train. Erza gathered their luggage for them as the train slowed to a stop and Natsu slowly came back to life. Now too hot to wear the light jacket she had brought, Wendy took it off and tied it around her waist. Her hand lingered on her stomach for just a second, the heat helping to calm her twisting gut.

Since they were in the last car of the train they were also the last to exit, which Natsu found to be a great inconvenience as it stood between him and food. As soon as they stepped onto the platform, the boys headed straight for the many stands lined up along the street and began devouring the freshly cooked delicacies. Wendy stood there for a moment, squinting through the sunlight at the bustling port. Fishermen with their catches on their shoulders moved about the about the market, where vendors called out to the passing travelers. Spying a bathhouse, she made a beeline in the opposite direction from Natsu and Gray without bothering to see if she was followed. Her face was still streaked from the tears and her mouth tasted like vomit; she badly needed to get inside and wash up.

Though the port itself was busy, the bathhouse was empty. It was still early and not many tourists were coming through yet, so she had no trouble finding an vacant stall and locking herself inside. She pressed her forehead against the metal wall, reveling in the feeling of coolness that spread across her face and calmed her. The room was not well lit and gave her eyes a break from the harsh sunlight outside, which her raging headache thanked her for. Slowly she started to feel somewhat normal again and stopped leaning on the wall. She untied the jacket from her waist and hung it up on the back of the door.

Her eyes went wide as she stared at the stain that had spread across the back of her jacket, turning the light blue denim a deep red color. Confused, she twisted around and saw that the entire back of her dress had been stained completely red as well, as had her upper thighs. As she stood there, flooded with panic, a trickle of blood ran down her leg and dripped onto the floor.

Completely unsure of what else to do, she tried to find where the blood was coming from. Even when she thought she located the source, however, she couldn't seem to make it stop no matter what she did. She sat down on the toilet with her bloodied dress bunched around her torso and started to cry.

I'm dying, she thought to herself. I threw up before and I didn't listen to Carla and now I'm dying.

"Wendy?" a voice called gently from outside the stall. She quickly closed her mouth and tried to stop sobbing, instead making strangled hiccupping sounds. "Wendy is that you?" the voice called again.

She gathered herself as best she could and took a deep breath. "Lucy-san, is that you?" she asked in the most normal voice she could manage, praying that it would be.

"No," the voice said. "It's Erza. Wendy, are you alright?"

She started to cry again. She didn't know what to do and she had a feeling that Lucy would know. But Erza? She didn't know Erza all that well, at least not as well as she knew Lucy.

Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind; the memory of Erza consoling her when Cait Shelter had disappeared. Erza had been there for her then. She could trust her. She would help.

"Is Carla with you?" Wendy asked, her voice shaking once again.

"No, she's with the others in the market. She thought you wanted space."

"So it's just you?"

"It's just me."

She stood up and smoothed down her dress, but she knew she couldn't leave the bathhouse in such a condition; she had to trust that Erza would help her. Slowly, she moved towards the door and unlocked the latch.

Erza slipped into the stall and locked the door behind her, keeping her back to Wendy. "Can I turn around?" she asked.

"Please help me," Wendy cried softly. "Erza I don't know what's going on. I can't go out there like this."

She tried to make herself look as small as possible as Erza spun around and took in the sight of her bloody hands and dress. She hated looking so weak around Erza; she was so strong and collected and would never make such a fool of herself.

"What the…" Erza stared at her for a second, panic flashing across her face. "Are you hurt? Where is the blood coming from?" She grabbed one of Wendy's slender arms and looked it up and down, searching for some sort of injury.

"Erza, no" Wendy said softly, her eyes cast downward and her cheeks burning. "That's not… that's not where it's coming from."

Erza dropped Wendy's arm and squinted at her. "What do you mean? If you're not hurt, then…" She trailed off as her eyes went wide with understanding. Wendy started to cry again despite her best effort.

"Oh Wendy. It's going to be alright. You're okay," she said, sinking to her knees and enveloping the distraught girl in a hug. Wendy cried into Erza's arm and shook uncontrollably as Erza rubbed her back gently. "Is this your first time?" she asked. Wendy pulled away and hiccupped as she tried to stop crying.

"My first time? What do you mean?" she asked, confused by Erza's question. Erza looked at her incredulously.

"Oh no…" she said quietly. "Carla never told you about this?"

Wendy shook her head and looked down again. "I'm sorry that you're seeing me like this, but I don't know what to do," she sniffled, struggling to wipe her tears away. Erza reached out and wiped them away with her thumb before rising to her feet.

"It's okay," she said, helping Wendy off of the floor. "You don't need to worry, this is all normal. I promise that I'll tell you what's going on, but we should wait until we get to the resort."

Wendy nodded and tried to smile. Although she was thankful for Erza's help, she was incredibly embarrassed. "How am I supposed to go outside like this?" she asked, turning around so Erza could see the extent of the damage.

"You can put this back around your waist for now," she said, holding up the jacket. "The stain isn't too bad. But let's get you cleaned up first." She left the stall momentarily and returned with a stack of wet paper towels. She knelt down and began wiping the blood from Wendy's legs, although it continued to drip down onto the floor. "Here," she said, handing Wendy the paper towels. "Can you finish cleaning your legs while I get something to stop the bleeding?"

Wendy nodded and took the towels from her, doing her best to clean up the mess as Erza carefully folded a significant want of toilet paper. "Put this in your underwear," she said, handing it to Wendy and throwing the paper towels into the toilet. "It'll help for now until I can get you something better."

Once Wendy was cleaned up and had stopped crying, Erza ushered her out of the stall. She had tied the jacket around her waist which covered the back of her dress but left the stain on the jacket quite visible. Erza promised to walk behind her so no one would notice, at least until she could change her clothes.

"We'll talk about this later, okay? With Lucy," Erza promised as they washed their hands.

Wendy nodded in agreement. "But please don't tell Carla."

"If that's what you want."

She washed her mouth out and they left the bathhouse, Erza's hands on Wendy's shoulders as they walked together through the marketplace.


	3. Chapter 3

*A/N- hello again! Sorry this chapter took more time, I'm going to be very busy with school for the next few weeks. This is more of a filler chapter but there's a few cute moments of Lucy/Erza/Wendy friendship scattered throughout. Next chapter is girls' day, so bear with me. Thank you for reading and enjoy :) *

The pair had quite a difficult time finding the rest of the team in the marketplace. Even with Natsu's bright pink hair, they could not seem to locate him in the sea of travelers, merchants, and fishermen that flooded the port. Erza's grip on Wendy's shoulders tightened in each time they were bumped into as if Wendy would be carried away by the tide of traffic around them. She kept her promise and stayed inches away from Wendy's back, shielding it from the prying eyes of the others in the market and holding her close each time someone came near.

They finally found the team when they spotted Happy terrorizing an innocent fisherman. He flew in twisting patterns around the man and tried to swipe a fish as he passed over the basket containing the day's catches. The fisherman, who was not as dumb as Happy assumed, swatted the bothersome cat away each time and hugged his basket closer. Erza steered Wendy in his direction, her face dark and serious.

"Happy," Erza growled.

The exceed paused mid-flight and looked around with fear in his eyes, momentarily forgetting about the fish. The fisherman took his chance and bolted away from the scene as Happy's eyes fell on Erza and he dropped from the air.

"Erza! Didn't see you there!" Happy exclaimed, trying to mask his fear with enthusiasm. "I was just… uh … pointing out a bad fish to that guy! Yeah, he had a reaaal rotten one!" He held his nose and waved his hand in the air for effect.

"I'm sure you were, Happy," Erza said, to Wendy's great surprise; she had expected her to reprimand him for disturbing the locals, but she seemed otherwise focused. "Where's the rest of the team?"

He pointed up the street where they could just make out the top of Natsu's head bobbing up and down as he fanned the flames of a grill into his mouth. A short distance away, Lucy and Gray stood rolling their eyes at Natsu's complete lack of common courtesy for the stand owner, who was now yelling and fervently shooing him away. As Erza and Wendy made their way over to the group, a stranger came barreling between them, forcing Erza's hands off Wendy's shoulders and leaving Wendy exposed. Not even a second later, however, Erza grabbed her by the back of her dress and pulled her closer, simultaneously punching the offending stranger in the face with the other hand. He swore violently at her but she continued to walk calmly through the crowd until his voice was lost in the cacophony of the marketplace again.

"Erza! Wendy!" Lucy called, waving at them excitedly as they drew closer. "Where did you go?"

Wendy moved quickly to lean against the pile of suitcases to hide herself as Erza let go of her shoulders, on the other side of which Carla sat with her arms crossed. Erza gave her an inquisitive look, asking for permission to tell Lucy about what had happened.

"Just Lucy," Wendy permitted, shifting uncomfortably as she watched Erza lean in and whisper into Lucy's ear. A few seconds later, Lucy' face lit up with excitement and she smiled at Wendy, her face falling serious only moments later.

"I understand," she said with a grave nod as Erza pulled away. Erza put her hands back on Wendy's shoulders and Lucy marched forward towards Natsu and Gray with authority. "Listen up, boys," she said, demanding their attention. "Erza just realized that the train will be leaving in five minutes, so you'll have to run if you want to make it."

"Right now?" Natsu asked.

"Yes right now!"

"But what about the luggage?" Gray protested.

"I guess you'll just have to see who carry the most," Lucy suggested, a devilish grin on her face. The two boys glared at each other for a moment before loading as many bags onto their arms as possible and sprinting towards the station, Happy zooming alongside them. Carla, who seemed to be ignoring Wendy, flew behind at a slower pace. As wise as she was, Carla hated it when things didn't go her way; her coping mechanism was usually pettiness.

"If the train is early, shouldn't we be running too?" Wendy asked, concerned. The last thing she needed was to ruin the trip even more by missing the train.

"It's not early," Erza snorted. "I just wanted them to go away."

Lucy giggled as Wendy looked at the two of them with astonishment. As they walked, Erza let go of Wendy's shoulders and walked side by side with Lucy, forming a sort of wall that protected her more.

"So now that the boys are gone, congratulations!" Lucy squealed, giving Wendy a tight hug from behind.

"Congratulations?" Wendy asked. She didn't understand how the circumstances were at all congratulatory.

"Carla didn't explain," Erza said to Lucy, "but I promised we'd talk about it when we got to the resort. This is all very new"

"Really?" Lucy asked incredulously. "How irresponsible. But don't worry Wendy, we can help" she said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Thank you," Wendy said softly, cheeks burning but smiling at the same time.

"The boys have our luggage so you can't change until we get to the station," Erza said. "Lucy do you have pads? I'm not sure I do."

"I think so. If not there are plenty of stores at the station."

Wendy could barely keep track of her own thoughts. She had gathered that whatever this bleeding was, it wasn't dangerous and she wasn't dying. But why was it happening? And Lucy mentioned the stores- what did the stores have to do with anything? Did that mean it happened to other people too? Did it happen to Lucy and Erza?

Her mind was filled with questions, though she tried desperately to block them out. She knew that Lucy and Erza would explain everything later; later just seemed really far away.

It still hurt too.

They rounded the corner and entered the train station, catching sight of the other team members once again. Happy was pacing up and down the edge of the platform, looking impatiently up the tracks, while Carla perched indignantly on top of the suitcases once again.

"And Lucy?" Wendy said. "Please don't tell Carla."

"I won't," she said after a moment's hesitation, "but you should probably tell her eventually."

"Why? She doesn't need to know," Wendy insisted. Lucy opened her mouth to respond but Erza intervened.

"Let's save this conversation for later, shall we?" she said. Wendy rolled her eyes and huffed angrily, although it came out more like a small roar. She was tired of hearing about later.

"Oi!" Natsu called when he saw the trio. "Where's the train?"

Erza pulled the tickets out of her pocket and pretend to study them for a moment. "Oh, it seems I misread the ticket," she said finally. "We have another twenty minutes!"

A collective groan came from Natsu, Gray, and Happy. As much as Natsu hated the train, he hated waiting even more; patience didn't exactly fit into his personality type. The three slumped down onto the floor to wait as Erza grabbed a red backpack from her mountain of luggage. Wendy's luggage, unfortunately, was obscured by quite the obstacle: Carla.

"Excuse me, Carla," Erza said gently, "but could I take this bag out from under you?"

Carla snorted indignantly. "And I don't suppose you could tell me why you need it? There seems to be some big secret among you three."

"There's no such secret," Erza countered. "In fact, I'll show you why. Wendy, can I see your jacket?"

She froze. She had only made one request- that no one tell Carla – and yet Erza seemed to already be breaking her promise. She was moments away from roaring and storming out when she locked eyes with Erza and realized that she had a plan.

"Sure," Wendy said sweetly. She untied the coat and handed it to Erza, allowing the stain to be displayed for all. Lucy moved closer to hide Wendy's dress.

"See?" Erza said holding the jacket out to Carla. "Wendy sat in something back there. She just needs to change. "

The exceed looked back and forth from the jacket to Erza to Wendy as if she were deciding whether or not to believe it. Luckily, she didn't seem to recognize the stain as blood and eventually dropped her defense.

"Fine," she huffed, moving from Wendy's bag to Natsu's, "but I'm not happy."

"Are you ever?" Wendy muttered to herself. Lucy kneed her in the leg to shut her up.

Once Wendy's cloud patterned suitcase had been secured and Lucy had her pink bag in tow, the three headed to the nearest bathroom. The station was crowded, more so than the port, and the bathroom was entirely full except for one stall, the family stall at the end. Without even questioning it, the three went in together and locked the door.

Wendy stood awkwardly in the corner as Lucy and Erza began digging through their bags, not wanting to change for fear of getting blood on her limited supply of clean clothes. Lucy cursed softly under her breath as she pulled item after item out of her suitcase.

"I know I have some in here," she muttered, tossing a bundle of clothes aside. "I don't have mine right now so I didn't bring much, but I'm sure I packed my emergency supply."

Wendy turned her toes in and stared at the floor, uncomfortable and unsure. Lucy had said that she "didn't have hers," but what did that mean? She assumed that meant it happened to Lucy too, and Erza as well based on the way she was nodding in agreement. While this revelation made her less fearful that she was dying, it didn't really clear much up otherwise. She was still confused as to why this was happening and concerned if it would happen again. She hoped not.

"Aha! I found it!" Lucy exclaimed, holding up a zippered pink bag. She unzipped it hurriedly and peered inside, but her face fell when she saw the contents. "I only have tampons," she admitted sadly, throwing the pouch back into her suitcase with a sigh of defeat. "Well, there goes that option. Erza, do you have anything?"

Erza had emptied the contents of her bag onto the floor and was sifting through a mountain of empty cake boxes in search of something. Wendy felt her face burning again, not because she was embarrassed but because she hated being so bothersome to her friends. They had been so kind and she didn't want to take advantage of their good hearts. She had just opened her mouth to apologize when Erza finally found what she had been looking for, a sleek black wristlet with a gold zipper. She breathed a sigh of relief as she looked inside.

"I do," she said calmly. "Are you going to change, Wendy?"

"I don't want to ruin any more of my clothes," Wendy admitted. "I really liked this dress too."

"Oh don't worry about it," Lucy said, waving her hand. "I'll clean it up for you. I can get blood out of just about anything."

"Even this mess?" Wendy asked, laughing a little as she turned around to show Lucy the dress.

"I have a couple tricks," she said with a wink. "You should change now. Your clothes will be fine as soon as long as you have a pad on."

Wendy knelt down and opened her suitcase even though she didn't understand what Lucy meant. She had a feeling that if she asked, the answer would be "we'll explain later," and she knew herself well enough to know that if she heard the word 'later' one more time she might go dragon force.

"Can you throw me a pair of clean panties?" Erza asked as she shoved the cake boxes back into her backpack. Wendy did so with embarrassment even though she knew that it didn't faze Erza in the slightest. She dug through her suitcase, trying to find something comfortable and light enough for the hot coastal weather of Hargeon. She finally settled on a white skirt with a pink bow around the waist paired with a matching pastel shirt.

"I don't mean to be rude," Lucy interjected, "but you might want to avoid white for now," she advised. "You never know what might happen." Trusting Lucy's judgment, she traded the white ensemble for a black skirt and a red buttoned shirt. Lucy nodded approvingly.

"Here," Erza said, handing Wendy's underwear back to her. "Change into those. It will keep the blood from getting on your clothes for a few hours."

Wendy peered at the garment Erza had given to her, now partially covered by a white, foam-like layer; she assumed that it was a pad, given what she had heard Erza and Lucy saying. She slipped her bloody underwear off underneath her skirt and put on the new pair as fast as possible, although she still dripped a bit of blood onto the floor. The pad felt bulky but not entirely uncomfortable.

She changed quickly as Erza and Lucy repacked their bags. She felt better being clean and in new clothes, and the pain had even subsided to a more manageable level. Before the group left the stall, Wendy hugged both Lucky and Erza tightly.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes watering a little. "I don't know what I would do without both of you."

Lucy ruffled Wendy's hair and Erza returned the hug, although much tighter.

"We've always got your back, Wendy. That's what friends are for," Lucy said with a smile.

"Normally we celebrate at Fairy Hills when this happens," Erza explained, "but that will have to wait until we get back. Instead, I say we have a girls' day tomorrow, no boys allowed!" she insisted.

"We can go to the spa and the hot springs and the market," Lucy squealed. "It'll be so much fun!"

Wendy smiled and nodded in agreement. She couldn't imagine having better friends.


	4. Chapter 4- Girls Day Part 1

***A/N - Girls Day Part 1! This is a long one, so buckle up my friends. Lucy and Erza explain periods and help Wendy buy bras- awkwardness ensues. Next chapter our girls will be drunk in a hotel room with snacks... What could go wrong?**

 **Thanks for reading! Love you all very much.**

 **And s/o to Guy East for reviewing every chapter. Thank you for your support!** *****

They reached the station of Pacifica, the location of their beach getaway, long past midnight. Wendy had fallen asleep a few hours into the ride and woke to find herself cradled safely in Erza's arms as the team walked to the hotel from the train station. She rested her head beneath Erza's shoulder, where her usual armor was missing, and dozed off again.

When she woke the next morning, she was nestled in the soft bed of the resort hotel room, the down comforter tucked around her shoulders. Lucy snored softly beside her, a peacefully sleeping Plue curled up above her head. Erza was alone in the opposite bed, her limbs splayed out in every direction and the comforter in a ball on the floor. It seemed she was the first one awake.

Or at least she thought.

Carla sat at the table by the window watching the waves crash as the deep pink sunrise faded into blue skies. Her feet swung lightly back and forth as she sipped gently from her steaming teacup.

"Good morning, Carla," Wendy said quietly, sitting up ever so slowly as to not wake up Lucy. Carla glanced at her momentarily only to snort and return her gaze to the ocean.

"Carla, why are you upset with me?" Wendy asked. The exceed set her teacup down loudly.

"Why am I upset with you?" she began, her voice high and angry. "For starters, I simply-"

"Please don't wake the others," Wendy whispered. "They need sleep."

"For starters," Carla repeatedly, although noticeably quieter, "you ignored my advice! On the train I asked you to drink some water and when I returned, Lucy wouldn't allow me to touch you!"

Wendy looked down, ashamed. She hadn't realized that would upset Carla so much. "I'm sorry," she said, tears in her eyes. "I told Lucy to do that. I just really needed some rest."

"You could have rested after you drank! I'm simply trying to look out for you!" she exclaimed, her voice rising louder again. "And now you three refuse to tell me what is going on! Wendy, has there been any time in your life that I was not there to help you? Why now am I suddenly unworthy?"

Wendy couldn't answer. She didn't think Carla unworthy; it was just that she felt she couldn't turn to her in this situation. Of course she loved Carla, but at that time she needed the support of someone else, someone human more specifically. But she could never tell Carla that; it would destroy her.

Instead of saying anything, she cried.

She shook silently in bed, her hands gripping the comforter as tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn't know how to tell Carla and she certainly couldn't explain her feelings without ruining their relationship. She had always told Carla everything, but this time she couldn't. She had nothing to say.

"Honestly, child," Carla said with a sigh as she dropped down from the table. "Must you cry so much?" She climbed into bed beside Wendy and wiped her cheek with a soft paw. "I only want to help."

"You'd like to help?" another voice asked suddenly. Startled, Wendy looked over to see Erza sitting up in bed, watching intently.

"Good morning to you too, Erza," Carla said haughtily. "I supposed you have something in mind?"

"If you'd like to help, I have a job of great importance that needs to be done," Erza said, getting out of bed and going over to the table where Carla had been sitting. On it was an envelope addressed to Levy McGarden. "I was going to ask Happy but you're likely better for the job."

"Well, what is it then?" Carla asked, crossing her arms.

"I need this delivered to Fairy Hills before we return. I won't arrive in time if I send it by mail."

"You want me to fly all the way back to the guild?" Carla asked incredulously. "You must be out of your mind!"

"I wouldn't ask if it weren't of the utmost importance," she said gravely. "If you'd like you may strike me as payment."

"Don't be ridiculous," Carla said, snatching the envelope from Erza's grasp. "I'll do it, but only on one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"As soon as I return, you must inform me of everything that is going on."

Erza's face went pale as she glanced over to Wendy. She considered saying no for a moment, but she could see in Erza's eyes that the letter was extremely important. She nodded her consent with a sigh of defeat. As Lucy said, she had to tell her eventually anyway. "Everything, Carla," she said. "I promise."

"Alright then," Carla said, smiling pleasantly as she extended her wings. "Be back soon!"

The exceed took off through the opening balcony door, leaving behind a trail of shimmering magic as she went. Erza watched her go with her hands on her hips, looking accomplished.

"Two birds with one stone," she said. "Now we have the day to ourselves and my letter will be delivered."

"What was that letter about?" Wendy asked, drying the remnants of her tears.

"You'll see," Erza said with a wink. "Now get up and get dressed; we have quite a day ahead of us!"

"Right!" Wendy said with excitement. She threw the covers back and hopped out of bed, only to stop cold and look at the sheets in horror. "Oh no," she said softly. "Um, Erza?"

"Hm?"

"Can you come look at this?"

Erza joined her at the side of the bed, staring down at the great red stain that marred the immaculate white sheets.

"Damn it," Erza cursed to herself. "I forgot to give you a new pad last night."

"I'm sorry," Wendy cried, her eyes filling with tears once again.

"I'm not mad at you, Wendy," Erza clarified. "I'm mad at myself for forgetting to take care of you. I should have been more responsible."

Lucy's eyes fluttered open as she took in a long breath. "Huh? What's going on?" she asked groggily as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Nothing, just a small accident," Erza said. Lucy stopped rubbing her eyes and looked at the mess spread out before them.

"Oops," she said. "Don't worry about it, Wendy. It happens to the best of us." She smiled and hopped out of bed, throwing the comforter onto the floor. "Go get cleaned up while I take the sheets off."

Erza escorted Wendy to the bathroom and practically placed her in the shower while Lucy went to work stripping the bed. "I'll get your clothes," Erza said, turning on the water for Wendy. "You get clean."

The water felt amazing on her aching body. The heat relaxed her tensed shoulders and worked out the knots in her back while soothing the insistent pain in her lower stomach. She would never have gotten out if Erza didn't start knocking repeatedly on the door.

"I know it feels good but you can't stay in there forever," Erza said with a laugh as Wendy shut off the water and wrapped herself in a soft towel. "I left your clothes on the sink, so go ahead and get dressed. Lucy and are ready when you are."

She changed quickly into the green sundress that Erza had picked out for her and combed out her long, wet hair. The shower was refreshing and she felt ready to take on the day. She gave herself an encouraging smile in the mirror and went out to join Erza and Lucy.

"Ready?" Erza asked." I figured we'd go out to breakfast first."

"Ready," Wendy confirmed. She reached for the handle but hadn't yet turned it when the door flew open on its own.

"Good morning!" Natsu yelled, throwing himself into the room. Gray followed lazily behind with his hands in his pockets. "Are you guys heading out for food?" the dragon slayer asked, rubbing his stomach. "Man I sure could go for some waffles right now."

"We're going out," Erza said. "You're not."

"Whadya mean?" Natsu asked, opening the mini-fridge and searching through it although it was empty. "I'm hungry."

He halted his search suddenly and looked at the three girls with confusion. "Something's different about one of you," he said, his eyes narrowing. Wendy's face blanched and she backed towards the door as Natsu crept closer until he was right in front of her face, his nose twitching.

"You smell wrong, Wendy," he said finally after several seconds of staring at her. "You smell like Erza and Lucy. You've never smelled like that before. Cana and Mira do sometimes, but not you. Why do you smell different?"

"Natsu you imbicile!" Erza roared, slamming her fist into his stomach and sending him flying back into the opposite wall.

"What the hell, Erza?" Natsu yelled back, bouncing off the wall and charging towards her. Gray, who had obviously figured out what was going on, stepped in front of him and blocked his path.

"Just go," he said, his cheeks burning red. "Hurry up before flame brain here gets through."

"We're having a girls day so don't disturb us," Lucy called as they hurried out the door.

"Don't worry. I've got him under control. Have fun," Gray said. Erza slammed the door.

"Whew," Lucy said as they made their way down the hall. "Sorry about that, Wendy. He's an idiot."

"It's alright," Wendy said, although she did feel somewhat invaded. "What does he mean I smell like you two, though?"

"Let's talk about that at breakfast, okay?" Erza said, pushing them down the hallway. "There's a café just down the street."

They found a secluded table in the back of the small but busy café. Erza took a long sip of tea and peered at Wendy over the brim of the cup.

"So," she said, "we have a lot to talk about. Do you have any idea what happened to you?"

Wendy shook her head. "Not really. I get that this isn't dangerous and that it happens to you and Lucy too, but I don't understand anything else."

She sighed and set the cup down. "I guess we'll start from the beginning then. You're a healer, so I'm assuming you're familiar with basic human anatomy," she said, to which Wendy nodded. "Then you know that women have uteruses. Basically, your uterus was preparing to have a baby by lining its walls with blood. You aren't pregnant through, so your body got rid of the blood when it realized there was no baby. It's called a menstrual period and it happens to every healthy female, including Lucy and I and all of the other women at the guild. It's a natural part of growing up." Lucy nodded vigorously, her face solemn.

"Our friend Natsu, unfortunately, notices that we smell different because of it, but I think he's too thick to realize what's going on," Lucy added with a laugh.

Wendy looked at them with utter shock. She had known about uteruses and that babies grew in them, but somehow she had missed the finer details of this process. She didn't know that it was quite so... messy.

"That's… gross," she said finally, her stomach growing queasy. "But why would my body think I'm pregnant?"

"Your body gets ready to be pregnant every month," Erza explained. "Around every 28 days, your ovary releases an egg that will become a baby if it's fertilized. If the egg becomes a baby, the blood in your uterus nourishes the baby and you don't get your period. If it doesn't, your body has to get rid of the blood."

"Hold on," Wendy said, stopping Erza's explanation. "This happens every month?"

"I'm afraid so."

"For how long?" Wendy cried. She didn't want to go through this for the rest of her life.

"Until you're around 50. But don't worry," Erza said as panic started to spread on Wendy's face. "As you get older they become more regular and you won't get as sick. It gets easier."

"Porlyusica has medicine that helps with the cramps and headaches too. I wish I had some to give you," Lucy said, stirring her tea absentmindedly. "I don't know about you, Wendy, but I PMS like a bitch. So does Erza," she said with a laugh. Erza just shrugged.

"PMS?" Wendy asked. "What's that?"

"For like a week before you get your period your emotions get all messed up," Lucy explained. "For example, I get really angry and Erza cries a lot. You crave weird things and your boobs get sore too."

Wendy thought back to when she had accidentally yelled at Carla, and all the times she had cried, and realized that must have been the cause. Without thinking she reached up to her own chest to see if she was sore.

"That reminds me," Erza said as she watched Wendy. "When I was getting your clothes this morning I noticed you don't have any bras. That means we need to go shopping."

"Now that I have my period does that mean I'll grow boobs like you?" she asked, throwing her shame aside. Erza's face went very red.

"Well, I mean…" she stuttered, "I… I've always been quite large. You will develop but not necessarily to my size."

"But don't worry about it," Lucy interjected. "Having big boobs is awful. Your back hurts all the time and they get in the way. Big or small, however you turn out will be just fine," she assured her. Wendy looked down at her own chest, still quite flat.

"I'll take anything bigger than this," she said with a dejected sigh. "One more question," she said.

"Shoot," said Lucy.

"You said that you don't get your period if the egg becomes a baby. How does that happen?"

Both Erza and Lucy choked on their tea.

"That is most definitely a conversation for the hotel," Erza said finally. "Let's get out of here."

Erza and Lucy split the bill for the food despite Wendy's protests. "Today we are treating you," Lucy insisted. "You deserve it!"

They left the café and wandered down the sunny street, sharing the sidewalk with only a few other pedestrians. It was only just past 8 and the lazy vacationers weren't up yet, giving the three free roam of the town.

"Hot springs?" Erza suggested.

"You don't have to ask me twice!" Lucy squealed with excitement, although it was fairly hot outside.

"Can I go in the water?" Wendy asked. "With the blood and all…"

Lucy and Erza exchanged questioning looks. "Do you still have those tampons, Lucy?" Erza asked.

"I do but it's only her first time!" Lucy exclaimed. "Is that really the best idea?"

"We're on a beach vacation," Erza scolded. "We have to teach her."

"Teach me what?" Wendy asked, trying to figure out what they were talking about. Erza lead them into the nearest public, and thankfully empty, bathroom and sent Wendy into one of the stalls with a tampon in her hand.

She emerged from the stall ten minutes later with blood on her hands and walking somewhat awkwardly. "I got it," she said. "And this means I can go in the water?" She didn't see how this could possibly work.

"Yes," Lucy said, studying Wendy. "Can you feel it?"

"No," she said as she washed her hands.

"See?" Erza said. "No problem. Good job Wendy."

They spent several hours afterward at the local hot springs, relaxing and letting go of the worries that had accumulated over the past few days. By the time they left, Wendy felt better than ever, her muscles lax from the hot water and her pain virtually gone. She let the bright sun shine on her face and took in the warmth all around her, although she knew she would pay dearly for it later in sunburn.

The thought had barely crossed her mind when Erza started slathering Wendy's cheeks with sunscreen.

"You've got light skin like me," she said as she rubbed Wendy's face vigorously. "We can't have you getting burned. Carla will never forgive me."

Wendy laughed and didn't push her away, although she usually argued with Carla regarding the sunscreen. Erza was right; if she was in any way harmed when Carla returned, they'd never hear the end of it.

"Where to now?" Lucy asked, turning down Erza's sunscreen.

"It's only just past two, so we have a while before the sun sets" Erza replied. "We can go shopping and then spend some time on the beach if you'd like."

"We have important shopping to do," Lucy said, winking at Wendy. "I saw a convenience store when we were walking in last night. Maybe we can find some necessities there."

The store was fairly small but Wendy quickly found herself quite overwhelmed by the selection of products it offered. Lucy and Erza moved up and down the aisle labeled "feminine hygiene," discussing various items with one another. Occasionally they would ask her opinion but ultimately she gave them all control since she had no idea what she was looking for anyway.

They finally decided on a box of tampons branded as "junior" and three different kinds of pads, since they could not seem to agree on what would be best. Wendy started for the counter but was stopped by Lucy's hand on her shoulder.

"We are going to need a lot of other things," she said seriously.

They continued through the store in search of various other items that Erza and Lucy insisted were necessities. Lucy picked out a non-magical medication to help with the cramps, deciding that it would have to suffice until Wendy could see Porlyusica. Erza, on the other hand, led them down the candy aisle. Wendy's mouth watered as she looked at the delicious treats surrounding her, even though she knew she didn't particularly like some of them. She wanted to eat it all anyway.

Erza reached for her personal favorite- strawberry cream hard candy, of course- while Lucy went for her go to sweet, mini chocolate caramels. Wendy stood motionless in front of the display, overcome with amazement and desire, for several moments before deciding on a container of individually wrapped chocolates. She stayed far, far away from the sour section.

By the time they finally made their purchase, an hour had passed and they had to get a second basket to fit all of their snacks. They left the convenience store 20,000 jewel poorer but a fair amount of chips and candy richer. Erza carried all seven bags in one hand without complaint.

The convenience store just so happened to be located next to a fairly large department store. Lucy and Erza exchanged knowing glances as Wendy gulped. She knew what this meant...

"Bra shopping!" Lucy said, clapping her hands with excitement. "I need some new ones as well so I might do a little shopping myself, but our main focus is you, Wendy." The three entered the store together.

The undergarments section was located all the way in the back on the first floor but took up at least a quarter of the space. Again, Wendy was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options spread out before her.

"We need to measure you," Erza said, pushing her towards a fitting room in the corner. "Normally someone at the store does it but I think it will be fine if I do it myself." She grabbed a discarded tape measure off the vacant desk and followed Wendy inside, Lucy tagging at her heels.

Wendy made Erza measure her with her shirt on, despite the fact that Erza insisted it would be inaccurate. She wrapped the measuring tape around her chest a number of times and compared it to a conversion chart on the wall.

"Let's see…" she said, studying the rows of numbers. "That looks like a 28AA to me. Lucy?"

Lucy stepped up to the chart and squinted at it. "Looks right to me," she concluded finally. "What kind of bras are you looking for, Wendy? Or do you just want Erza and I to pick out a couple for you to try?"

She agreed with the latter and the two returned several minutes later with their arms full of merchandise.

"We have may picked out a few things for ourselves," Lucy admitted as she stepped inside and closed the door. "But we'll help you find something first."

She held up a couple of the options and gave a brief explanation of each type, but Wendy was distracted by the fact that Erza had started to strip in the corner. She caught sight of the size tag as Erza tried one of the bras on- 32G.

Her eyes went wide as she looked down at her own chest, still covered by her green dress. "I'm flat as a board!" she cried suddenly.

"Hm?" Erza said, suddenly noticing Wendy staring at her. Following her gaze to the size tag, she hurriedly tucked it away and blushed deeply.

"Wendy, Erza is nineteen years old- of course she has bigger boobs!" Lucy said frankly. "You're only twelve! Heck, I'm seventeen and I'm still smaller than Erza! The point is, you shouldn't compare yourself to anyone because you're not going to be the same. No one is the same. Just because Erza is bigger doesn't make you any less beautiful. Now come on, try one of these on so we can find what you like." She thrust one of the bras into Wendy's hands, turned away, and pulled off her own shirt. "I'll do it too so you don't feel awkward."

Although she wasn't sure Lucy's speech made her feel any better, Wendy reluctantly took off her dress and tried on the soft gray bra. It was pretty obvious that it wasn't actually doing anything, but it gave her a warm feeling inside to know she was like the rest of the Fairy Tail girls now. No, not girls- women.

"That looks so cute!" Lucy said, smiling as she watched Wendy. She blushed and turned around to look at herself from a few different angles.

"I like it," she said finally, smiling with approval. Lucy handed her another one.

"Good. But we're nowhere near done."

Wendy wasn't sure how much time had passed by the time she tried on the last bra. She loved the soft bras and the sports bras but hated the feeling of underwire- was there even a point for someone as small as herself? When they finally left the fitting room, she had a pile of 8 different bras to take home. Lucy and Erza again spoiled her and paid for it all despite her protests She had brought 50,000 jewel and could easily pay for it herself, however the two insisted on "making her day special." It was a losing battle.

They left the store two hours later, nearly five thirty. They stopped for an early dinner at a restaurant near the beach and watched the sun slid lower and lower toward the horizon from the window beside their table. When they set out for the hotel once again, the sky was ablaze with oranges and reds as the sun said its final goodbyes for the night.

They were nearly back to the hotel when Erza made a sharp turn into a dimly lit store. Wendy moved to follow her inside, but Lucy held her back. "You're underage," she explained. "Erza will get in trouble."

Erza returned a few moments later with two brown paper bags in her arms. "We're in for a fun night, ladies," she said with a wink. "I've got sake."

 ***A/N- Next chapter will be up as soon as possible. I'm very busy this time of year but it shouldn't be longer than a week. Thanks again! ***


	5. Chapter 5

***A/N short, fluffy chapter about Carla and the guild (perspective change!) Sorry for the wait, it's been hectic around here. But spring break is next week, so more is coming! I'm working on part 2 of this chapter as well, which should be out in the next few days.**

 **Anyway, thanks again for the support! Enjoy :)***

 _-in a certain guild, in a certain town-_

Carla was deeply troubled.

It had taken her over twelve hours to finally reach the guild and by the time she arrived, the sun had long since set and the doors to Fairy Hills were locked. She tried all the windows, even knocked gently on Levy's, but found no way into the silent girl's dormitory. She knew she would face questioning if she dared venture to the guild hall, but it seemed she had no other choice. She had to complete Erza's quest, after all. Completely exhausted, she made her way back to Fairy Tail, where the din of drunken partying escaped through the walls and onto the street.

The guild was generally a lively place with their infamous drunken mages, however that night seemed to be particularly raucous. As she entered, Carla noticed that Fairy Hills had been so silent because all of the residents were gathered around a table, laughing and sipping their own drinks.

"Carla!" Cana called, waving her frothing mug through the air. "Want a drink? I'm sure you're old enough in cat years!"

"Since when do we care about age?" Laki countered, swirling her shot glass. "You've been drinking since you were 13, haven't you"

"You're right!" Cana exclaimed, doubling over with laughter as beer spilled out of the glass and onto her black bikini top. "Oi, Carla, join us!"

Carla cautiously made her way over to the table of girls, the letter still grasped tightly in her tail. Levy was there, sitting beside Cana with a smile on her face and a drink in her hand.

"Whatcha got there, kitty?" Cana slurred, grabbing at the letter as Carla weaved from side to side. She was even more drunk than usual.

"It's for Levy,"" Carla asserted, moving deftly around Cana and her wildly flailing hands. Levy reached out to take the letter, her wiggling fingers inches from Carla's tail.

But it was too late. Cana had managed to grab hold of the letter and pull it free.

"Such pretty handwriting," Cana noted absently as she tore open the envelope. "Does that say Levy McGarden? Oh well, I'm just as cute. I'm sure whoever wrote this won't mind."

"Cana, no!" Carla cried as she tried to wrestle the letter away. "I have specific instructions from Erza to give this to Levy!"

There was a sharp intake of breath around the table as the girls realize the punishment they would face if anyone else opened that letter. Cana, however, seemed unfazed.

"As you can see," she said, jabbing a thumb toward the incessantly giggling Levy, "Levy-chan is not exactly in any position to be receiving letters at this time. I can hold my alcohol better; therefore I may open this."

Satisfied with this logic, Cana shoved Carla away and finally unfolded the letter. She read slowly, following each line of writing with her pointer finger and she made her way down the page. When she reached the end, she looked up with a shining face and grabbed Levy's arm.

"Levy-chan! We have a party to plan!" she yelled.

"A party?" Levy drunkenly giggled. "For who?"

Cana leaned forward onto the table with immense excitement and held the letter in front of Levy's face. "Wendy's got her period!" she exclaimed. "We need to have a girl's party!"

A collective gasp sounded from the rest of the girls. Moments later, the silence dissolved into a cacophony of different reactions. Levy drunkenly hiccupped and raised her glass, continuously squealing "Partyyyyyyyyyyyy" as she fell backward, kicking her bare feet in the air. Juvia's entire body liquefied, tears pouring down her cheeks, as she cried for "the poor, innocent Wendy." Cana knocked back the rest of her beer and slammed her fist on the table for another.

"Alright, who riled up the girls?" Gajeel demanded, shoving his own table out of the way and calling the attention of the guild.

"Gajeel," Levy said sharply, her giggles suddenly ceasing as she drew her face into a perfectly executed pout. "It's a special day. Don't ruin in with your grumpiness!"

"I'm not grumpy," Gajeel shot back. "Carla what did you do? Why are they so excited?"

"Now, now, "Cana interrupted, "Don't blame the cat. Our dear little Wendy is a woman now. We have to celebrate!"

"What do you mean she's a woman now? She's always been a girl! Maybe you should slow down Cana!" He rolled his eyes and tried to grab the mug out of Cana's clenched fist.

"That's not what she means, Gajey," Levy giggled.

"Then what does she mean?" he spat back. "You're not making any-" A look of understanding suddenly came over his face. "Oh no, you don't mean…"

"Wendy's all grown up!" Juvia cried.

The other guild members, all of whom had been listening to the conversation between Gajeel and the girls, let out a collective "aww," as they realized what had happened to Wendy. Their little sky dragon- she was growing up.

"Wendy's a woman now, eh?" Wakaba commented. "Well I can't wait until she starts looking like one. She's gonna be such a babe!"

"Tell that to your wife, Wakaba," Cana yelled as the rest of the guild laughed. Behind her, a dark aura had descended upon Gajeel, his eyes gleaming red through the magical energy surrounding him.

"Don't you dare…" he seethed, transforming his arm into an iron club. "Don't you dare speak about her like that!" He shot forward without warning and sunk his steeled arm into Wakaba's stomach, sending him flying backward into the crowd of intoxicated bystanders.

Before Carla even had a chance to comprehend the situation, the guild was consumed by a full-fledged brawl. Gajeel blew through opponent after opponent, yelling something about defending the little dragon, while the other mages cast misguided spells and threw sloppy punches at one another. The girls simply continued their drunken antics, laughing as the men of the guild fought around them.

Carla slowly backed away from the carnage of guild hall. _Good Lord_ , she thought to herself. _Wendy is going to kill me._


	6. Chapter 6

***A/N Hello again! I have unfortunately been struck with the flu so I'm writing very slowly :( but this is a fun chapter! I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you'd like to see happen! ***

Let it first be said that Wendy was not an experienced drinker.

Since she had joined the guild, she had only been drunk a handful of times, and it wasn't usually a pleasant experience (she shuddered just thinking about one particular Christmas Eve). During the guild's drunken parties, Mira always stayed sober and kept an eye on her for fear that she would end up trampled by certain rampaging wizards. It was an unfortunate side effect of dragon slayer magic- much like they couldn't handle transportation, they could not hold their alcohol.

So by the time they took their first shot of sake, Erza and Lucy were stone cold sober while Wendy was on the ground with her eyes spinning.

"Come on, we've got to get your tolerance up!" Lucy said, pulling Wendy off the ground and onto the bed. "Cana wasn't much older than you when she started drinking, you know. You can handle it."

"Don't compare me to Cana!" Wendy cried as she rubbed her eyes and tried to stop the spinning. Her stomach luckily felt better otherwise she was sure she would have vomited all over the floor by now. She graciously accepted a glass of water that Erza gave her and gulped it down, the icy feeling helping to clear her head.

"We should at least try to be good influences, Lucy" Erza scolded. "You don't have to drink if you don't want to, Wendy. It's up to you."

Wendy shook her head and held out her shot glass for a refill. "No, I want to," she said defiantly. "I need to be able to handle it, in case I end up in a guild fight someday."

"Fair point," Erza said, filling up their glasses. "Bottoms up, ladies!"

The three knocked back the shots, Wendy's throat burning as she gulped it. _Maybe this is how Natsu feels when he eats fire_ , she mused. She swore she could feel it sizzling in her stomach and seeping into her blood.

""Lucy, Erza," she said, leaning forward onto her elbows with shining eyes. "Tell me about your first times."

"What?" Lucy exclaimed. "Oh no, that's an embarrassing story. I've mostly blocked it out."

"Pleaseeeeee," Wendy begged, crawling a little closer to Lucy and pouting, "It would make me feel better."

Lucy looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before giving in with a sympathetic sigh. "Fine," she conceded. "But promise you won't make fun of me!"

Both Lucy and Erza nodded solemnly.

"Alright well, I was… eleven years old I think. My mom had been gone for some time, so I didn't really know anything. Spetto probably tried to tell me, now that I think about it, but I was such an absentminded child that I don't think I was paying attention."

"Anyway, all I really remember is that I was in the library reading and I got blood one of the chairs, one of the fancy velvet ones. I was so scared about what Father would say that I ran to the furthest corner of the mansion and locked myself in the attic. Bero ended up noticing the stain on the chair and organized a search party when I didn't show up to dinner. By the time they found me, every single one of the servants knew that Miss Lucy had become Lady Lucy. Spetto cleaned the chair for me, but I was so embarrassed I thought I would die." Lucy stopped talking and looked down at her hands, her cheeks pink and her eyes glassy.

"That's not that embarrassing," Wendy reassured her. "In fact, I think that's kind of cute."

"That's not embarrassing at all," Erza interrupted. "When I got mine, I was in the guild hall and I didn't know any of the older women. I ended up going to Makarov."

Wendy and Lucy gasped and threw their hands over their mouths. "Makarov!" Lucy cried. "But he's an old man!"

Erza shrugged. "I was comfortable with him so I didn't really mind, and I had seen it happen to girls at the Tower of Heaven so I was familiar with it. He brought me to Porlyusica, but not until after he announced to the guild what happened. Never have I wanted to kill him more than in that moment."

"I am so sorry," Wendy said, patting Erza's hand. Lucy held out her shot glass to Erza.

"I'll drink to that."

And so went the third shot.

And then the fourth.

And then the fifth.

Although Lucy and Erza were only mildly buzzed, Wendy was already tipsy. She felt disconnected from her body and the faces of her laughing friends blurred at the edges.

But she didn't feel bad. No- she felt really good.

"How you doing, Wendy?" Lucy asked somewhat seductively. Her usual drunken persona was starting to emerge as she leaned suggestively forward, winking at the swaying Wendy.

"I feel… floaty," she said slowly.

"Floaty?" Erza repeated.

"Floaty… so floaty." She hiccupped as the alcohol gurgled in her stomach, falling backwards onto the bed with a giggle.

"Come on, Wendy, don't tell me you're already drunk," Lucy teased. "You won't even be able to outdrink Natsu at this rate! For such a strong guy he sure is a lightweight."

"Such a strong guy, eh?" Erza said with an arched eyebrow and a suggestive smirk. "Tell me more, Lucy. How do you realllyyy feel about Natsu?"

"What?" Lucy exclaimed. "No! It's not like that! It's not-"

Erza slapped a hand over Lucy's mouth. "Stop talking," she commanded. "I've just been struck with a brilliant idea."

"Please not the guild master game," Wendy pleaded weakly.

"Certainly not! Not among girls at least," Erza said. "No, I have a better idea. Truth or Drink!"

"Truth or Drink? I've heard of Truth or Dare, but not that. How do you play?"

"The rules are simple. Either you answer the question or take a shot, but you have to decide which you're going to do before the question is asked."

A sense of impending doom came over Wendy. She knew she couldn't handle much more alcohol, but could she handle an interrogative Erza any better? She shuttered as Lucy gathered their shot glasses and topped them off. "Let's play!"

"Why don't you start, Lucy?" Erza suggested, her eyes gleaming. "Truth or Drink?"

"Well it would be boring to drink right off the bat. Truth."

"Let's pick up where we left off before," Erza said, her evil smirk growing. How do you really feel about Natsu?"

Lucy's face drained of all color and she sat back on her heels, looking nervously back and forth from Wendy to Erza. Finally, she reached for her glass. "I'm changing my answer," she said simply.

"No!" Erza yelled, smacking her hand away. "You have to answer. That is the rule!"

Luc crossed er arms angrily. "I can't believe I'm saying this," she said with a small sigh of defeat. "Truth is I've given it a lot of thought. He spends half his time at my place anyway, so making it official wouldn't really change much. But nothing has ever happened between us, not that I would mind if it did…"

"Oooooo, you wouldn't mind? You loveeeee him," Wendy giggled, her tone reminiscent of Happy. Erza only nodded with satisfaction.

"It's as I expected. I had a feeling that you saw him that way. As for Natsu, he cares for you more than you know."

"Really? Why? Did he say something to you?" Lucy demanded, grabbing Erza's arm and pulling her closer. Erza calmly pushed her off.

"Not expressly. But I can see it in the way he fights. He fights with someone in his heart, and that someone is you."

Lucy swooned and fell backwards with her hands clasped over her heart, apparently much drunker than she was letting on. Wendy had always wanted to see Natsu and Lucy together- hell, the whole guild did- but knowing that it might actually happen filled her with a strange sense of excitement.

"Hey Wendy, I'm gonna ask you now," Lucy said, recovering from her temporary daydream. "Don't think I haven't seen you and little Romeo turning all red around each other. How do you feel about him?"

"Lucy-san, you didn't ask me truth or drink," Wendy said, desperately trying to avoid the question. It wasn't the first time she'd been asked to disclose her feelings about Romeo and honestly, she didn't know what they were. It seemed that since Romeo was the only boy her age, everyone was trying to force them together even though Wendy wasn't sure she even liked him in that way. "I choose drink," she said.

"No fair! You heard the question!" Lucy protested.

"Fair," Wendy insisted as she reached for her glass.

"Since Lucy broke the rules, we must all drink. That is the rule!" Erza said.

And so went the sixth shot.

"Okay Erza-san, I get to ask you now," Wendy said, her eyes crossing and forming two Erza's before her. "What kind of books do you read?"

Lucy burst out laughing as Erza's face went bright red "I don't know what you mean," Erza covered. "I read all sorts of things- fantasy, action, adventure- I like it all."

"Allow me to rephrase my question. What were you reading on the train?" Wendy asked with narrowed eyes. Lucy was doubled over, unable to contain herself.

"Go on, tell her Erza," she said between laughs. "You shouldn't have brought that on the train."

"Evidently," Erza seethed. "I'm sorry Wendy, I can't-"

"Erza reads hentai!" Lucy yelled, laughing wildly.

Erza's face went dark as she grabbed a fistful of Lucy's hair and yanked her closer. "Listen here, one more word out of you and YOU'LL MEET A WORSE FATE THAN NATSU!"

Lucy fell onto her knees, bowing and apologizing profusely as Erza took another shot.

"I don't know what that means…" Wendy said quietly as she watched the two fight. Lucy and Erza stopped tussling and looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Now's as good a time as ever to tell her," Lucy said with a shrug.

"I guess you're right," Erza admitted. "Well, Wendy, let's have a quick conversation about sex."

 ***a short while later***

"That's DISGUSTING!" Wendy yelled, backing away from Lucy and Erza with abject horror.

"You'll change your mind about that soon enough," Lucy said.

Wendy shook her head insistently. There was no way. Why would anyone ever do that? She didn't even want to think about it. "No thanks," she said with crossed arms.

"Relax, Lucy," Erza said. "Let's be glad she doesn't want to do that. We don't need any little Romeo's running amok in the guild hall."

"I do not want to do that with Romeo!" she yelled, a small gust of wind accompanying her cry. "Never!"

"Like I said, you'll change your mind. Anywayyyy, we should continue playing," Lucy said, or purred rather. She slunk forward on her hands and knees until she was right in Erza's face.

"Hey Erza, truth or drink?"

"Truth."

Lucy giggled and got even closer to her face. "Are you a virgin, Erza-san?" Lucy asked. "I promise I won't tell."

Erza's cheeks turned pink and she looked away from Lucy's sleepy eyes. "Do you really are want to know the answer to that?"

"Yes!" Wendy insisted, even though she didn't understand the question.

"No. I'm not," she said simply.

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed. "Who? When? Where?"

"Lucy-san," Wendy whispered. "What does that mean?"

"Erza did that with someone!"

"No way!" Wendy said. "With who?"

"I don't suppose you recall Christmas Eve? Jellal found me walking home naked."

"Oh come on, you were drunk?" Lucy said with a disgusted tone. "Do you even remember it then?"

"No, it wasn't on Christmas Eve. I wanted to, but Jellal wouldn't because I was drunk. I was the next day." She stopped and smiled a little. "And I remember it very well."

"I knew it would be Jellal!" Lucy yelled. She grabbed her shot glass and held it in the air. "A toast to Erza and Jellal, the couple we've all been waiting for!"

Wendy hit her glass against the other two and knocked back her seventh shot.

"Well are you planning to do it again? Are you and Jellal a thing now?" Lucy asked.

"Not until I see Porlyusica. I need to get the potion, if I know what I mean."

"We can take care of that when we bring Wendy," Lucy said with a wink. But Erza was less playful than the intoxicated Lucy and was overcome by a dark aura.

"Both of you, listen here," she said, her voice dark and serious. "If any word of this leaves this room, neither of you will live to see tomorrow."

"Of course, ma'am, I' never say a word," Wendy said, bowing and sweating profusely. She remembered what happened when Erza got drunk- she didn't want to piss her off.

"As long as that's clear," Erza said contently. "NATSU!" she yelled. A muffled "what" came from the other side of the wall.

"GO GET MORE SAKE!"

*TO BE CONTINUED*


	7. Chapter 7

***A/N- Hello again! I am back and recovered from the flu (thank you for the well wishes!) Enjoy this silly chapter and let me know what else you'd like to see! :)**

When Natsu banged on the door five minutes later, Wendy and Lucy were holding each other tightly, sitting as far away on the bed from Erza as possible. She clutched the empty sake bottles in her fists, glowering at their lack of alcohol and cursing under her breath.

"Oi, Erza," Natsu yelled from outside the door, pounding on it once again. "I have your booze."

Momentarily lifted from her angry stupor, Erza opened the door, snatched the bag out of Natsu's hands, and slammed in his face before he could have a chance to argue. Ordinarily, Natsu would have fought back and broken down the door to beat up Erza, but it seemed he had caught on to her drunkenness and knew better than to make her angry. Wendy felt kind of bad that the boys were being excluded and considered inviting them, but she wasn't sure she could walk far enough to do so. Besides, Erza had said no boys, and she wasn't willing to risk her life on the off chance that Natsu felt left out.

Erza dumped the contents of the bag onto the bed, her angry aura lifting as she took in the sight of three large glass sake bottles. She took one, popped off the cap, and began drinking straight from it without a shot glass, simply pouring it down her throat. Lucy opened the second bottle and cradled it in her arms, taking gentle sips from it as she purred to herself.

Wendy took the bottle she assumed was for her and struggled to open it, missing the cap each time she tried to grab it. The bottle was made of light green glass and refracted the light coming from the lamp beside the bed, forming distorted reflections of the room around her. Enthralled, she moved the bottle from side to side, watching the reflection of Lucy distort and her proportions grow even stranger. She almost looked like a chibi.

"Hello, chibi Lucy," she said to the reflection. "When did you get inside a bottle? Is the weather nice in there?"

And so the conversation went, with Wendy voicing both herself and Lucy's reflection. She spoke to 'chibi Lucy' with loving tones and introduced her to the real Lucy, although she was too drunk to really care or understand. She only wanted Natsu to "come and make her purr." When chibi Lucy disappeared as the real Lucy moved across the bed, Wendy nearly wept for her lost friend.

"Such a brief and beautiful friendship," she said with a sniffle. "You will be missed." Erza took the bottle from her and finally opened the cap that Wendy had been unable to grasp.

"Drink," she commanded. And so Wendy drank.

She had long since devoured her box of chocolates and the empty chip bags beside the bed served as a glaring reminder that they were out of snacks. Wendy clawed hungrily at her stomach and stuck her hands inside the bags, searching for any crumbs.

"Erza-san, I'm hungryyyy," she complained when she came up empty. "I'm a dragon. Dragons need to eat. Maybe if I were a garbage dragon I could eat these bags. But I'm not. I'm a regular dragon, one that needs to eat." She paused for a second and stared at the empty bags again. "I'm hungry," she repeated.

"Wendyyy," Lucy slurred with a laugh. "You're a sky dragon, aren't you? Just eat the air!"

Wendy stopped muttering drunkenly to herself, her eyes lighting up as if it was the best idea she'd heard in ages. She puffed her chest out and tried to draw in a long breath, but it seemed like something was wrong. She was forgetting something important…

"I don't remember how to do that," she admitted. It hadn't worked in the slightest, probably because she couldn't really feel her body. Since she wasn't thinking clearly, her magic power didn't seem to be flowing clearly either. But that would not hinder the mighty sky dragon slayer. No- it would strengthen her! Filled with determination, she got shakily to her feet

"Sky dragon *hic* roar!" she yelled, leaning back into her heels in preparation for the powerful gust of wind.

"Wendy no!" Erza cried, leaping off the bed and throwing her hand over Wendy's mouth. But it was too late- a small tornado had escaped her mouth and knocked Erza out of the way, carving a destructive path through the room.

Wendy fell over in a fit of laughter as Erza and Lucy chased the tornado, desperately trying to stop it in its tracks before it destroyed anything. It flung their clothes about the room and swept the empty chips bags up into the air as it rampaged across the floor. The curtains covering the open balcony door whipped in the wind with sharp snapping sounds.

Erza and Lucy threw themselves at it, trying to smother it with blankets and towels but having no luck. Wendy tried to get up to help, but her drunken dizziness combined with her convulsive fits of laughter left her unable to stand for more than a few moments. She watched the spectacle before her with wide eyes, cheering on her friends and cursing the tornado.

The wild gust of wind finally escaped onto the balcony and down onto the beach below, heading towards the ocean and away from their top floor hotel room. Lucy and Erza sank to the floor with exhaustion.

"Wendy," Erza panted, "Don't ever use magic when you're drunk. Drunk magic is uncontrollable and you could hurt someone, maybe even yourself."

Despite her best effort- which was quite minimal, to be honest- Wendy' eyes filled with tears. "I'm *hic* sorry," she cried. "I don't want to hurt anyone. I just *hic* want to be strong *hic* like you."

"Awwww," Lucy said, patting Wendy's head. "Don't worry about it. Just don't do that again." She grabbed a sake bottle and knocked some back before tossing it to Erza, who grasped it possessively and stomached at least half of it.

"I know where to get food," Erza said, her eyes shining with desire. "And maybe some more booze."

"Where?" Wendy asked. She hoped it wasn't far.

Erza's face broke into a devious smirk. "Natsu can't handle being more than a few feet from food. There's bound to be some in their room."

"Hey now Erza, are you suggesting we break into the bedroom of two handsome bachelors, one of whom likes to sleep naked?" Lucy asked. "How scandalous." She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled with a distinctly devilish tone. Wendy was suddenly very glad she couldn't hear Lucy's thoughts.

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting," Erza confirmed. "But for booze, not for men!"

"For food!" Wendy cried. "Let's do it."

The three crept quietly, or as quietly as they could manage without being able to walk straight, out of their room and into the hallway. Erza practically carried Wendy, who was too drunk to do much of anything on her own besides laugh and then shush the others for laughing. They knelt down in front of the neighboring door and peered through the keyhole at the sleeping Natsu and Gray, who had somehow managed to miss the raging tornado one room away.

Erza jiggled the door handle ever so careful, knowing that the boys seldom remembered to lock their doors at home. It gave way under her touch and opened smoothly to reveal the dimly lit room, slightly illuminated by the blue light of the TV lacrima. The sound of Natsu's raucous snores drifted into the hallway along with the voice of the newscaster on the TV, documenting a destructive tornado that had appeared suddenly on the beach only minutes before.

With Erza leading the way and Wendy leaning on her shoulder, they made their way into the room soundlessly. Behind them, the door shut with a soft click. The small refrigerator stood across the room beneath the lacrima, on the side of which stood three chip bags.

Forgetting the secretive purpose of their mission, Wendy threw her hands into the air and rushed forward with a cry of, "Food!" In her intoxicated rush, however, she failed to see Gray's discarded shoe on the floor and blundered blindly into it, instantly losing her balance and falling to the floor with a thud. Lucy, who had long since been distracted by the leaping Natsu, tumbled over Wendy with her legs flying, taking Erza down with her. All three landed in a heap on the floor, limbs tangled and eyes spinning in a complete daze.

 _The floor feels so nice,_ Wendy mused. _So solid._

Natsu left out of bed with his fists flaming, ready to fight. "Alright who's messing with my sleep schedule?" he yelled, waving his arms in the air. He stopped when he saw the girls on the floor and stepped back with a look of mild shock and confusion on his face. "Oh," he said. "It's just you guys." His nose wrinkled as he studied them. "God, how much have you had to drink?" Wendy guessed the stench of sake must have been radiating off them; she couldn't even remember how many times she'd spilled on herself.

"Gray wake up," Natsu said, smacking the slumbering ice mage.

"What do you want, fire breath?" he grumbled sleepily, opening one eye.

"Gotta get the girls back to their room," he said, pointing to the clump of drunken wizards entangled on the floor.

"Idiots," Gray cursed under his breath as he got out of bed. Wendy noticed that he was naked but she didn't really care, at least not this time. Natsu picked her up with one arm and Lucy with the other while Gray hoisted Erza, who had at some point reequipped into her heavens wheel armor, off of the ground. Before they could begin their journey back to the girls' room, however, the door flew open and banged against the wall with a crack.

"What in the world is going on here?"

Carla.


	8. Chapter 8

***A/N Hello again! It's been some time. Writing this was beginning to feel a bit forced so I decided to wait for it to come naturally to continue. Nonetheless, I feel guilty for logging off for over a month. Forgive me for that. Anyway, enjoy this new chapter! Thank you for waiting :)***

"All of you are such insufferable idiots!"

The five mages sat with their heads bowed as the enraged Carla lectured them, throwing pointed glares in every direction.

"Where do I even begin with you two?" she said, addressing Natsu and Gray through clenched teeth. "What would you have done had I not come in? To think that you would stoop so low as to take advantage of inebriated women!"

"We would never-" Gray began, but Carla wasn't interested in hearing from a naked man. She continued lecturing as she paced back and forth in front of the group.

"And you, you… floosy!" she yelled at Lucy. "I know this was your doing! First getting a child drunk and then encouraging inappropriate relations with older men! How dare you corrupt Wendy in such a way!"

Lucy only hiccupped and looked away with guilt. She knew better than to speak.

"And why did you not intervene?" She moved on to Erza, who had quickly sobered up and looked Carla steadily in the eye. "Of all of you, I trusted you the most with Wendy's well-being. Clearly I was mistaken."

"I apologize," Erza said. "I will accept any punishment you deem fit."

"We'll get to that later," Carla snorted haughtily. "Wendy." Her expression softened slightly as her gaze fell on the small girl, who was crying softly. "What happened to you, child? I thought you knew better."

Her sobs grew louder as she balled her fists and stared at the floor. Her mind fought an internal battle as her emotions and morals clashed with one another- she knew she had let Carla down, but she didn't regret her actions. "I do know better," she cried, "but I was having such a good time and these last few days have been so terrible. I just wanted to have fun."

"Fun certainly should not involve men when you are twelve years old!" Carla was trying to remain stern, but the crack in her voice eroded at her angry demeanor. Wendy's tears had always been her weakness.

"I swear, I wasn't doing anything inappropriate with Natsu and Gray. None of us were. We just came in here to find food," Wendy hurriedly explained. "They were going to carry us back to our room because we fell."

Carla pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "All of you are such idiots…" she repeated. "I never should have left. I knew something was off." She looked pointedly at Lucy, Erza, and Wendy. "You three have some explaining to do."

"Wait," Natsu interrupted, to Carla's great distaste. "Can we at least get them back to their room first? I want to go back to bed."

"I suppose so," Carla conceded, although the spite in her voice didn't fade. Her gentle paws picked Wendy up from beneath her arms and lifted her into the air as Natsu tossed a squealing Lucy over his shoulder.

"You're naked and I'm fine," Erza insisted, shoving Gray's hand away. She used the wall to pull herself from the ground and took a few wobbly steps forward.

"Yes I am and no you're not. Give it up, Erza," Gray argued, grabbing her arm and wrapping it forcefully around his shoulders. He grabbed her by the waist, giving her no choice but to lean into him. Wendy watched the spectacle from the corner of her eye and smiled a little to herself. Erza and Gray would make a cute couple, wouldn't they? Ah, but she did _that_ with Jellal, so perhaps not.

Back in their room, Carla shoved the boys out the door without so much as a goodbye. As soon as the lock clicked, Carla turned to the three of them and pointed towards the bathroom.

"Shower. Now. You reek of alcohol." She wrinkled her nose as she looked around the room, throughout which sake bottles and chip bags were scattered. "So does this room. I'll call housekeeping."

Erza ushered Lucy and Wendy into the bathroom and shut the door behind them. She signaled for them to be quiet until she heard Carla speaking on the phone.

"So, what are we going to tell her?" Erza asked as she reequipped out of her heaven's wheel armor and into absolutely nothing.

"The truth," Wendy said with a shrug. Although she still felt a little giggly from the alcohol, the crying had sobered her up enough to know that she didn't want to lie anymore. Erza and Lucy nodded in agreement.

Stripping off their sake soaked clothes, Lucy and Wendy followed Erza into the shower. Although the pain in her stomach had subsided considerably, the shower still felt unbelievably good on Wendy's sore body. She closed her eyes and allowed Erza to wash her hair for her, fully enjoying the spa like treatment that cleared the last of the drunken haze from her mind. She basked in the hot water as she waited for Erza and Lucy to finish washing up and pondered what had been a great day up until Carla's intrusion. Oddly enough, Carla's anger hadn't ruined her day, though. She wondered why that was.

Housekeeping had already come and gone by the time they stepped out of the steam filled bathroom, leaving them with fresh sheets and a clean room. Carla was once again sitting on the table by the window, gazing at the moon over the ocean.

"Hey Carla," Wendy said, stepping towards her.

"Are you ready to tell me now?" Carla asked without turning around. She evidently wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush.

"Yes, but I need you to look at me." Wendy knelt down next to her suitcase and pulled out clean pajamas as Carla eyed her warily. Taking a deep breath, she pulled a pad out of her suitcase and held it up. "I got my period. That's all."

Carla's eyes went wide as she stared at Wendy with disbelief for several seconds. "At the guild… I heard them say you'd become a woman…" she said breathlessly, her eyes welling up. "I don't know why I didn't understand what they meant. Oh Wendy!" She dove from the table and into Wendy's arms, crying against her chest. "You're growing up so fast. You're not a child anymore."

Wendy laughed slightly and hugged Carla tightly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said with a sniffle. "I just didn't know what to do and I didn't think you would understand."

Carla leaned away from Wendy and wiped her eyes with the back of her paw. "Honestly, I probably wouldn't have, although it pains me to say so. I didn't learn about this all that long ago and I was just waiting for the right time to tell you. When you got angry with me that morning, I knew it was coming soon. I just didn't know how soon…" she trailed off for a moment. "I was going to tell you as soon as we got back from the mission, but I guess I was too late. I'm sorry for leaving you unprepared." She began to cry again, which deeply unsettled Wendy; she rarely saw Carla lose her composure.

"Carla, it's alright," Wendy reassured her, rubbing the cat's head. "Erza and Lucy had my back, so I was fine. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, and I didn't mean to hurt you, so let's just move on, okay?

Carla smiled and looked into Wendy's hopeful eyes. "Of course," she said. "But no more secrets."

"No more secrets," Wendy agreed. She hugged Carla again.

"I don't mean to break this moment up," Erza said softly, "but Wendy, you're getting blood on the towel."

"Crap!" Wendy yelped, almost dropping Carla as she leapt up from the floor. She grabbed her pajamas and rushed into the bathroom, yelling apologies over her shoulder.

Once she had changed, Wendy got into bed and snuggled into the warm covers. Lucy got in beside her as Erza turned off the lights and slid into her own bed, leaving them in the silent darkness. Erza and Lucy began to snore not long after; Wendy, however, stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep because of her cramps. She had forgotten to take the medicine Luc y bought and her gut was twisting itself into hellish knots.

"Wendy?" Carla was standing beside her, looking at her pained face with a concerned expression. "Are you alright?"

"It hurts," Wendy admitted quietly, holding her stomach. The concern on Carla's face deepened as she pulled back the covers and looked at Wendy's white-knuckled hands clutching her body.

"Move your hands," she said. Gently, Carla curled up beside Wendy and pressed her body into Wendy's stomach. Wendy sighed as Carla's warmth seeped through her shirt, easing the pain and spreading a pleasant feeling through her whole body. "Is that where it hurts?" Carla asked.

"Yes," Wendy said. "But that feels so much better. Thank you."

"Don't ever hesitate to come to me for help, child," Carla said softly.

Wendy smiled in spite of herself. She liked that Carla still called her child, even though she technically wasn't one anymore. "Of course," she said. "Goodnight, Carla."

"Goodnight."


End file.
